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Calls For Zuma To Resign Grow. Will He Survive The Latest Onslaught?

Calls For Zuma To Resign Grow. Will He Survive The Latest Onslaught?

President Jacob Zuma is facing strong calls by the opposition and a section of the ruling party, religious leaders and business community to resign following the release of a report linking him to various counts of corruption on Wednesday.

The nation’s former Public Prosecutor, Thuli Madonsela, appointed to investigate complaints of government misconduct released the 355-page report dubbed, ‘State of Capture’ and links Zuma to involvement in cronyism, questionable business dealings and ministerial appointments and high-level corruption within the government.

“Following the findings in the State Capture Report, Jacob Zuma should do the honourable thing and resign,” Business247 quoted Mmusi Maimane, the leader of Democratic Alliance which defeated the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party in the municipal elections in August.

The release of the damning report, hours after Zuma’s defense team abandoned a bid to stop its release to the public, links his family members, the Gupta family and top government officials to criminal allegations and breaches of ethics, CNN reported.

Dozens of protesters led by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) opposition party, marched through the streets of Pretoria on Wednesday, demanding Zuma’s resignation.

ANC’s party leaders in Gauteng, Pretoria and Johannesburg also said they will join the protests without the ruling party’s blessings to protest against the corruption ills bedeviling Zuma’s regime, Punch reported.

The Guptas, an influential   Indian-South African family influenced the sacking of former Finance Minister, Nhlanhla Nene in December last year and also offered Mcebisi Jonas, the current deputy Finance minister, about $44 million in efforts to influence him to accept to replace Nene, according to the report.

The report also linked Duduzane Zuma, the president’s son tried to influence Jonas to take up the ministerial post, in secret meetings at the Gupta’s residence in Saxonwold, a Johannesburg suburb.

The Guptas influenced most of Zuma’s ministerial appointments according to the report.

Eskom, the state electricity parastatal is alleged to have broken the law in awarding lucrative contracts to the Guptas and Duduzane, through another firm, Tegeta.

The report also details the close friendship between the Guptas and Brian Molefe, Eskom Chief Executive Officer and exchanged more than 50 telephone calls between 2015 and this year, Times Live reported.

The report has compounded the crisis facing Zuma, who is also facing hundreds of graft allegations including the controversial $16 million from the public purse to upgrade his private home in Nkandla in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Critics also saw the graft charges against current Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, which were dropped last week as part of Zuma’s supporters to oust the minister who drew the ruling party’s ire by refusing to approve of several projects that could have seen the loss of millions of dollars of public money.

The ruling party also suffered its worst election defeat since apartheid when it lost to the opposition Democratic Alliance in the August municipal polls.